The invention relates to a deformation element for the interior of motor vehicles.
German Patent Publication No. DE 198 25 040 A1 (corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 6,145,921) shows a shock-absorbing device which comprises a support, which is essentially L-shaped in plan view, and embraces a car body column and is kept at a distance from the car body column by means of a deformable leaf spring structure. The leaf spring structure is constructed so that it has two mutually intersecting semicircular bridge elements, which are offset from one another by 180xc2x0 and held one above the other, the plane of the semicircles being essentially perpendicular to the plane of the vehicle column. With such a shock-absorbing device, it is possible to counteract only an impact force, which acts essentially in a direction perpendicular to the line of intersection of the two semicircular bridge elements on the device. There is therefore only a pointwise spring system.
It is an object of the invention to provide an improvement thereof.
The inventive deformation element is deformable as a whole over its longitudinal extent so that as a result, it can cover a wide region of the outline configuration of the body part of the car and, in this region, functions as an impact protection device. Several deformable regions are available so that forces introduced at different places on the car body and from different directions can be intercepted and the deformation element provides protection in the case of a frontal accident as well as in the case of a side crash or if the vehicle overturns. In each of these cases, the points of impact and the directions in which the forces are introduced are different.
A high stability of the deformation element is achieved since in the case of an impact, the direction in which the force is introduced would extend essentially in the plane in which the reinforcing skins extend. Even if only one deformable region is constructed from a wave crest opposite a wave trough, a stability, better than that of the state of the art, would be achieved therewith by the stiffening skin even when the forces are introduced from different directions. This embodiment is realized particularly advantageously also within a deformable longitudinal strip which is fitted to the respective car body structure.
Elastically deformable pins are provided as energy absorbers and exhibit a relatively high energy absorption even in the case of obliquely introduced forces and lateral kinking, so that the passenger protection is improved also in this embodiment. In particular, advantages arise also here when several regions carrying such pins are connected with one another and adapted as a whole to the shape of the body.
Further advantages and distinguishing features arise out of the examples of the object of the invention, which are explained in the following and shown in the accompanying drawings.